Flower-themed community development centered on the Hanano-wa complex, completed in Higashikagura Town in 2024, is fostering connections among residents, while volunteers are contributing to community revitalization through gardening work.
Higashikagura Town is developing a community filled with flowers, and the Hanano-wa complex, completed in 2024, has helped invigorate interaction among residents. People who care for the gardens and take part in events are also helping to revitalize the community.
A total of 60 residents have registered as volunteers with the “Hanano-wa Garden Supporters,” carrying out gardening work twice a week as well as community activities. One participant said, “We were all separate, rather than being friends, but connections have formed here.”
Higashikagura Town had weak ties between the government-office area in the town center and newer residential areas, but there are now indications that community connections are beginning to return through the flower-themed community development initiative. Takizawa Yukari (滝沢ゆかり), who is responsible for the program, points to the importance of daily maintenance and ongoing efforts to recruit volunteers.
The flower-themed community development activities do not end with gardening work. Efforts to deepen interaction, including making sweets after volunteer activities, are also helping to build connections within the community.